Regina’s Italian Star Deli became the stage for some political theatre Thursday, with a senior Conservative shadow minister stopping by to sip espresso and campaign against the federal Liberals.

Pierre Poilievre, an Ottawa area MP and the Conservative finance critic, made stops in Saskatoon and Regina this week — using the occasion to criticize the federal carbon tax, pipeline policies and small business tax changes.

Italian Star played into that last point, with Poilievre holding out his party as the best hope for the deli’s owner, Carlo Giambattista.

“How important is it to keep this family business in family hands?” Poilievre asked.

The subtext was Poilievre’s apparently firm belief that a reelected Liberal government would reintroduce tax changes on income sprinkling, capital gains and investment income for private corporations, measures it partly walked back earlier this year.

There is so far no indication they’ll return. But Poilievre used a visit to a Regina Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday to claim the changes are only temporary “on ice.”

“They simply acknowledged that they were politically impossible this close to an election and they will bring them back within the first several months if they are reelected,” he said of the Liberals.

Poilievre repeatedly named Regina—Wascana MP Ralph Goodale in his speech at the chamber, in a bid to connect him to those policies. During an interview shortly after his speech, he went further, calling the federal public safety minister “the epitome of Liberal arrogance.”

He said his constituents in Ottawa, who recently helped vote in the province’s Progressive Conservative Party, have “the same basic grievances” as Saskatchewan people. He commended Scott Moe’s government for being the only one “with the courage to stand up and fight back.”

“With the election of Doug Ford in Ontario, I’m happy to say: Help is on the way,” Poilievre told the crowd at the Chamber event, which included provincial MLAs like Ken Cheveldayoff.

Ford seems ready to join Moe’s court challenge over the carbon tax, a move Poilievre said may “possibly” succeed. But he suggested that the future of carbon pricing won’t be decided in Regina or Toronto courtrooms, but at the next federal election.

The Conservatives apparently view Regina as a place to pick up a seat or two, adding to the single riding held by leader Andrew Scheer. In a bid to rouse the troops, Poilievre appeared at an event for Regina—Lewvan candidate and Warren Steinley on Wednesday.

“It’s really good to have him out here as a hard working finance critic and really just have an unofficial kickoff for the campaign,” said Steinley, who predicted that the carbon tax will be among the major ballot questions of the 2019 election. He said it is already resonating on the doorsteps of Regina—Lewvan.

“I think we’re going to be competitive in every seat in Saskatchewan,” said Steinley.

That includes Goodale’s riding, he said. He admitted that the longtime MP does “good work,” but faulted him for his association with the Liberal policies Poilievre struck out against. He said there are now two prospective candidates competing to run against him.

During the visit to Italian Star, Steinley playfully prodded Giambattista to throw his hat into the ring. The business owner demurred. He said he’s busy enough as it is.

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